Rehman, Khaliq UrAslam, FarhanMata, Mário NunoMoleiro Martins, JoséAbreu, AntónioLourenço, António José dos Santos MorãoMariam, Mariam2021-10-072021-10-072021-06-23REHMAN, Khaliq Ur; [et al] – Impact of entrepreneurial leadership on product innovation performance: intervening effect of absorptive capacity, intra-firm networks, and design thinking. Sustainability. ISSN 2071-1050. Vol. 13, N.º 13 (2021), pp. 1-16http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/13835The main objective of this research is to investigate the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and product innovation performance. In addition, the mediating mechanism of absorptive capacity, intra-firm networks, and design thinking through which entrepreneurial leaders influence product innovation performanceis also studied. The researcher contacted three hundred (300) plus firms; 157 firms showed a willingness to participate, and 96 firms provided the data with a response rate of 61.15%. Out of those 96 firms, the data from 71 firms were used for the final analysis, yielding an effective response rate of 45.22%. Only middle and top-level employees from the marketing and research & development departments from Pakistani firms were selected as respondents because these two departments are directly related to product innovation performance. To test the hypothesis, the Smart PLS-SEM technique wasused. The empirical analysis revealed that entrepreneurial leadership impacted product innovation performance through the mediating mechanism of design thinking, intra-firm networks, and absorptive capacity. The current research contributes to entrepreneurial leadership theory by proposing and empirically testing how entrepreneurial leaders affect product innovation performance.engEntrepreneurial leadershipProduct innovation performanceRiskDesign thinkingIntra-firm networksAbsorptive capacityjournal article10.3390/su131370542071-1050